The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses its resolute protest over the unauthorised visit of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the opening of traffic on the railway part of the so-called "Crimean Bridge" through the Strait of Kerch, which the Russian side had built without consent of Ukraine in violation of international law, including of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Neither the visits of Russian officials to Crimea, nor the construction of the bridge, as well as any other actions by the occupation administration, can in any way change the status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol as integral parts of the territory of Ukraine in its internationally recognized borders.

Russia's actions on the so-called "Crimean Bridge" are a gross violation of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, of Russia’s bilateral treaty obligations to Ukraine, and fundamentally contradict the generally accepted norms and principles of international law.

Neither Ukraine nor any civilized state in the world recognizes the Kremlin's futile attempts to legitimize annexation of part of Ukraine's sovereign territory.

We emphasize once again that the Russian Federation, as the occupying power, bears full responsibility for the consequences of its internationally wrongful acts.

We demand that the Russian side cease illegal acts, as well as any activities on the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation — the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol.

The corresponding note of protest has been handed over to the Russian side.